More than three hundred candidates of Bangladeshi origin are fighting in the local elections in East London

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More than three hundred candidates of Bangladeshi origin are contesting for councilor positions in the upcoming local government elections in four boroughs (administrative areas) dominated by Bangladeshis in East London. Tower Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham — these four boroughs are voting on May 7.

The analysis of election statistics shows that this time the candidates are fighting as different regional platforms and independent candidates along with mainstream political parties. As a result, the British-Bangladeshi community’s political influence has come under discussion in this election.

About 1,000 candidates are fighting for 225 councilor seats in a total of 85 wards of four boroughs. Among them, more than 300 candidates are of Bangladeshi origin. Tower Hamlets has the highest number of Bangladeshi candidates. It is followed by Newham, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham.

East London’s Tower Hamlets council is dominated by Bangladeshis as always. 121 Bangladeshis are fighting against 45 seats in 20 wards here. The current executive mayor Lutfur Rahman himself is of Bangladeshi origin.

In this election, the local party Aspire Party and Tower Hamlets Independent nominated the most Bangladeshis. 25 Bangladeshis are contesting from the ruling Labor Party for the post of mayor including Sirajul Islam for the post of councillor.

It should be noted that the two current MPs of this borough, Rushnara Ali and Apsana Begum are also of Bangladeshi origin. According to the 2021 census, about 35 to 40 percent of the people of this borough are Bangladeshis.

Bangladeshis are also a big force in Newham Council. 87 Bangladeshi candidates are fighting against 66 seats in 24 wards here. Apart from the Labor Party, Conservative and Green Party, many Bangladeshis are in the field as ‘Newham Independent’ and independent candidates.

Farhad Hossain of Bangladeshi origin from the Labor Party and Arik Chowdhury from the Green Party are competing for the post of Mayor in Newham. 40 to 50 thousand Bangladeshis live in this borough with a population of about three and a half lakh. The Bangladeshi vote acts as one of the biggest determinants of victory or defeat in this council of about two lakh voters.

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Bangladeshis also have a significant presence in Redbridge. About 300 candidates are fighting against 63 seats in 22 wards of this borough. Among them, the number of candidates of Bangladeshi origin is 55. The two main parties, the Labor Party and the Conservative Party, have nominated the most Bangladeshi candidates. Apart from this, many are fighting from various small parties and independent platforms including the Green Party.

Redbridge has a population of more than three lakh, of which about 35,000 are Bangladeshis. In recent times the influence of Bangladeshi candidates has increased more than ever with the emergence of independent candidates in the Ilford area.

Around 200 candidates are contesting 51 seats in 19 wards in this east London borough. 34 of them are of Bangladeshi origin. Most of them are Labor, Conservative and Green Party nominees.

20 to 25 thousand Bangladeshis out of a population of about 215,000 in Barking and Dagenham. The former mayor of this borough, Moin Qadri, has come to the discussion after changing his party. He left the Labor Party and is contesting for the position of councilor for the Green Party.

Although the Labor Party is the main force in the field in all four boroughs, candidates from various independent and local platforms including the Conservatives, Greens, Lib Dems are also in strong positions. A plethora of regional parties and independent candidates, particularly in Tower Hamlets and Newham, made the electoral equation quite competitive.

According to political analysts, this massive participation of the Bangladeshi community will play a major role not only in the number of candidates, but also in determining the outcome of the vote. This huge turnout in the local elections is a great indication of the political awareness and interest of the British-Bangladeshis. Analysts believe that many of these candidates will lead UK national politics in the future.

A number of familiar faces are contesting in this election from different boroughs. Among them are Ajanta Deb Roy, Saima Ahmed, Hamim Chowdhury, Rabina Khan, Abu Talha Chowdhury, Rahima Rahman, Syed Abul Bashar, Abdul Qadir Chowdhury Murad, Sayeda Chowdhury and Moin Qadri.